Health Network News

Many people go to the beach when the sun is beating down on them, so that they can catch all the rays that they can for a glorious tan. But we now know that too much exposure to the sun can lead to serious skin damage.

Of course, we all know that we should be wearing sunscreen when we go outside at all times. How many people actually put sunscreen on in the morning in their daily routine. We typically only think of sunscreen when we are planning a day out of doors.We are warned on a continuous basis to keep our skin protected from the harmful rays and stay out of the sun when it is at its strongest. Younger people tend to not pay attention to these warnings about skin cancer and the sun.

No matter how young or old you are, you need to take good care of your skin. Excessive exposure to the sun will lead to damage eventually even if it doesn’t appear for many years. Therefore, you should prevent damage from the sun when you are young so that it won’t become an issue when you’re older. Many steps can be taken to limit or prevent sun damage.

It is important to remember to wear sunscreen any time you go out into the sun, not just on days you’re hitting the beach. We’re exposed to plenty of sun in our everday lives, from waiting for the bus, to walking to work, to having lunch outside.

It is recommended that sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 is applied to all exposed body parts. Even so, you should stay out of the sun during the afternoon hours, when the sun’s ray are the most damaging. Overexposure to sunlight isn’t limited to summer months. Skin damage due to sunlight can occur year-round, and could lead to skin cancer. To protect yourself, always wear sunscreen.

If you sweat or go swimming, you should reapply your suntan lotion every so often. To be safe, apply more lotion every two hours, or more often for children. Infants less than six months old should not be exposed to the sun any more than necessary, since their skin cannot handle sunscreen.

To prevent excessive exposure to the sun, babies should stay covered in colthing and should wear hats. Since their skin is extremely delicate, babies and toddlers should be carefully protected from too much skin. Infants are highly susceptible to skin cancer and other damage due to the sun.